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  • Two Philly-area Jewish schools are merging, a ‘proactive’ push to remain competitive in the region’s strong academic market

    Two Philly-area Jewish schools are merging, a ‘proactive’ push to remain competitive in the region’s strong academic market

    Two prominent Jewish day schools in the Philadelphia suburbs are set to merge, a decision school leaders say will keep the institutions competitive in the region’s strong educational market.

    Perelman Jewish Day School, a private Jewish pre-K and elementary school located in Melrose Park and Wynnewood, and Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, a Jewish middle and high school located in Bryn Mawr, will merge next year to become the only unified pre-K through twelfth-grade Jewish day school in the Philadelphia area.

    Perelman and Barrack will maintain their current operations for the 2026-27 school year, while beginning to combine their admissions and development programs. Faculty, staff, and students will come under the unified school umbrella beginning in fall 2027. Perelman and Barrack will continue to operate on all three campuses.

    School officials say the merger will help streamline curriculum development and strategic planning while bringing more families into the Jewish day school system by offering a consistent, pre-K-through-high-school experience.

    Perelman Jewish Day School was founded in 1956 as the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Philadelphia. The school operates across two campuses, one in Melrose Park, which serves parts of Philadelphia County, eastern and northern Montgomery County, and Bucks County, and another in Wynnewood, which serves Center City and Philadelphia’s western suburbs.

    Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, originally Akiba Hebrew Academy, was the nation’s first pluralistic Jewish secondary day school when it opened in Center City in 1946. The school moved to Merion Station in 1956, then Bryn Mawr in 2008. Barrack boasts numerous notable alumni, including Gov. Josh Shapiro and CNN anchor Jake Tapper.

    Perelman and Barrack completed a partial merger in 2012, when the schools combined their middle schools into a single sixth-through-eighth-grade program on Barrack’s campus.

    Tuition at Perelman ranges from $21,500 to $32,300 per year, and tuition at Barrack ranges from $34,900 to $42,700. Both schools offer tuition assistance. Perelman says it awards over $3 million in tuition assistance each year to families earning up to $500,000.

    School leaders say the merger will ensure Perelman and Barrack are an attractive option for families in Philadelphia’s rich educational ecosystem, where parents can choose from dozens of strong public and private schools. Often, families choosing private education are looking for continuity from pre-K through high school, something that Perelman and Barrack have not been able to provide until this point.

    The ability to have students “become part of an educational system from their earliest years and grow within that system” will be academically and socially “deeper and more impactful,” said Rabbi Marshall Lesack, Barrack’s head of school and a Barrack alumnus. Lesack will lead the unified school beginning in 2027.

    Daniel Eisenstadt, a member of the Perelman board of directors who will chair the new, combined board, said the merger will also allow for more cohesive planning. The schools will be able to align their vacation calendars, external messaging, and curriculum plans.

    Though the overwhelming majority of Perelman students already matriculate to Barrack, bringing the schools under one system will allow for more parity in what to teach and when to teach it. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers will be able to sit in the same room and plan best practices for everything from math to art to Jewish studies, considering the arc of a student from ages 5 to 18, Eisenstadt said.

    Both schools’ enrollment has been “stable to growing” in the past few years, said Eisenstadt. Both he and Lesack were clear that the merger is not in response to a souring financial outlook, as can be the case when educational institutions merge.

    “We’re both coming from a place of strength,” Lesack said.

    Barrack reported revenue of $20.9 million in 2024, an increase of $3.4 million over 2023, according to tax records. Perelman reported a revenue of $13.4 million in 2024, up $400,000 from 2023.

    However, Eisenstadt said, “there is a recognition that we operate in an environment where there are excellent other independent schools, and excellent public schools. Rather than waiting for a moment where we see a dip in enrollment or where there are challenges, I think the general feeling from a leadership point of view was, ‘Let’s be proactive.’”

    Two Jewish schools are pooling resources

    Amid rising reports of antisemitism, some Jewish day schools have seen a spike in enrollment, as families seek more opportunities for Jewish affiliation for their children.

    When it comes to growing enrollment at Barrack and Perelman, however, Eisenstadt said there’s no one cause. He is “a little bit skeptical about the generic narrative” that the Israel-Hamas war and rising antisemitism have solely driven increased interest in Jewish education. He says Perelman and Barrack can’t rest on the assumption that larger forces will inevitably push families toward the Jewish day school experience. In a “dynamic world,” the schools need to continue to evolve, he said.

    In Eisenstadt’s words, Barrack and Perelman can’t “assume that any one thing that’s occurred, any one event, or any one trend is the future.”

    Lesack and Eisenstadt said many of the merger’s details are still up in the air and will be decided by the board. However they noted that there are plans for major investments across all of Perelman and Barrack’s facilities. Plans have long been in the works to find a new home for Perelman’s Melrose Park campus. School leaders say they are committed to having a continued presence in Philly’s northern suburbs.

    Lesack and Eisenstadt acknowledged the challenges of merging two schools with different campuses and cultures. Yet there’s “an unbelievably strong foundation” upon which to build, Lesack said, citing the many families, values, and traditions that the schools already share.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Two Philly high schools are still fighting their proposed closures, even after officials tweaked plans to appease them

    Two Philly high schools are still fighting their proposed closures, even after officials tweaked plans to appease them

    Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said he heard the public outcry over his recommendations to close 20 schools.

    The Philadelphia School District leader fine-tuned his facilities plan last week, dropping the closure list down to 18 schools — and changing recommendations for Paul Robeson High School and Lankenau High School.

    Both schools would still close under the plan, which is now in the school board’s hands. Instead of merging into large neighborhood high schools, however, the small, selective-admission schools would be absorbed by magnets.

    Watlington said the tweaks would still allow the district to bring more high-quality academic and extracurricular opportunities into neighborhood schools while acknowledging the need to manage limited resources.

    But students, staff, parents — and some powerful allies at both schools — say Watlington’s counter-proposal isn’t enough. Both communities are still fighting.

    Under the revised plan, Lankenau would merge with Saul, not Roxborough, and Robeson would merge into Motivation, not Sayre.

    State Rep. Morgan Cephas (D., Phila.) recently visited the Philadelphia Flower Show, where she and other officials marveled at Lankenau students’ exhibit, which examines abundance, roots, and connections through culturally important plants. The display won a gold medal and the prestigious Alfred M. Campbell Memorial Trophy.

    The dichotomy struck Cephas, she said. Lankenau students “are at the Flower Show, and [the district] is trying to close the school?”

    On Wednesday, students, parents, lawmakers, and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers officials gathered at Lankenau to drum up support for Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal. But really, it was another save-our-school rally.

    A ‘prime example of a successful school’

    Lankenau “is a prime example of a successful school,” said Messiah Stokes, an 11th grader at the Upper Roxborough school. The school has a 100% graduation rate, and is Pennsylvania’s only three-year agriculture, food, and natural resources career and technical education program.

    The school itself sits on 17 acres, which district officials have proposed giving to the city — though a 1970s legal agreement could foil that plan. Lankenau is also adjacent to 400 more wooded acres via the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. The environmental center shares its land and its opportunities with students, who hold bird-watching clubs on breaks and hold classes outside when weather permits, and have abundant internship opportunities.

    “My school is a prime example of a successful school,” said Stokes.

    Watlington has said that Saul — the city’s agricultural magnet on a working farm on Henry Avenue — has a mission that’s closely aligned with Lankenau’s, but supporters say Lankenau’s success is closely tied with its wooded campus, its streams, and its ecosystems.

    Councilmember Isaiah Thomas speaks at Lankenau High School during a gathering to support the efforts to fight closing recommendations on Wednesday.

    Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chair of City Council’s education committee, is incredulous that the district is attempting to close the school, which educates mostly Black students.

    “I wonder if Lankenau did everything that it currently does: graduation rate … community involvement, the educators’ participation — I wonder if Lankenau was 98% white, will we be closing Lankenau?” Thomas said.

    Lankenau enrolls 228 students; its enrollment took a hit when the district changed its special-admissions policy. District officials have said that the school system lacks the long-term funding to drive academic improvement while continuing to operate 216 schools that have 70,000 empty seats.

    Still, “small schools are worth the investment,” said Amy Szymanski, a special-education teacher at the school. “Shutting down a school doesn’t just impact one community, it shakes other schools that have to absorb the impact as well.”

    Szymanski urged district officials and decision makers to come up with different plans.

    ‘Culture is not transferable’

    Robeson did everything the district asked it to do and then some, said Elana Evans, a longtime educator at the West Philadelphia school.

    The school was heralded as a model for other Pennsylvania public schools by former Gov. Tom Wolf. It won citywide prizes and sent a student to Harvard University. Its students successfully petitioned district leaders for air-conditioning in their building. And its staff secured donations to have a major cafeteria renovation, though its building is still judged in “poor” condition by district standards.

    “Why can’t Paul Robeson have a new school?” said Evans, who previously taught at University City High, closed by the district in 2013. “Haven’t we proved ourselves, haven’t the kids sacrificed enough? Haven’t they shown what they can do and what they’re willing to do?”

    Students walk outside Paul Robseon High School with Elana Evans, a Robeson teacher (in blue) in this 2025 file photo.

    And though moving to Motivation, in Southwest Philadelphia, may be slightly more palatable for some Robeson parents, for most, it won’t, said Evans.

    “Students would still have to go to 60th Street, traveling a distance,” said Evans. “If those parents wanted them to go to Motivation, they would have picked Motivation.”

    Motivation had initially been on the chopping block as well, but Watlington removed it from the list last week.

    The district has said it wants to preserve the successful Robeson culture, just elsewhere, but Kyana Hopkins, said that won’t work.

    “Culture is not transferable,” Hopkins said. “Make it make sense.”

    Samantha Bromfield, president of Robeson’s Home and School Association, said the district will lose families if Robeson goes away.

    “Understand that a parent like me will send my child back to being homeschooled” if Robeson closes, Bromfield said. “Your choice doesn’t fit my criteria of what I’m looking for my children.”

    Inheritance, and questions

    The Flower Show was abuzz Wednesday, with a crowd hovering around the Lankenau exhibit. “Inheritance” — a verdant wonderland showcasing plants grown from local seeds, set around a weathered wooden table — asked viewers to think of the question, “What tastes like home to you?”

    Lankenau High senior Sasha John (blue hoodie) explains her prize-winning school’s Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit to visitors on Wednesday.

    Several Lankenau students staffed the exhibit, answering questions — and showing visitors green “Keep LANK Open” fliers, encouraging passersby to share words of support for the school with the school board and City Council.

    “It doesn’t make sense to me,” said Amelia Pennycooke, a Lankenau senior, of the proposed closing. “We have so many opportunities at Lank.”

    Lankenau High School’s exhibit, which the school’s eco art class worked on all school year, won a gold medal and the Alfred M. Campbell Memorial Trophy at the Philadelphia Flower Show. “Inheritance” examines the question “what plants taste like home to you?” It was designed and built by Lankenau students.

    Noel Alford, a Lankenau parent, said the school needs to remain open, its land not used for any other purpose. The amendment to Watlington’s plan falls short, she said.

    “Saul is a mistake,” said Alford. “Saul is an agricultural school. They are two different magnet schools.”

    While elected officials have no say in which schools close, Thomas said it’s up to them to keep pressuring the board to rethink some closures, including Lankenau’s.

    “This is a legacy moment for us as elected officials,” said Thomas. No one “wants to add that black mark on their career that says you were the person that was in charge when this injustice took place.”

  • Do you buy a poinsettia to celebrate the holiday season? There is a very Philly history to that.

    Do you buy a poinsettia to celebrate the holiday season? There is a very Philly history to that.

    On Nov. 24, 1827, a group of gentleman who wanted to carry on the tradition of 18th-century area botanists John Bartram and James Logan held the first meeting of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

    Like Bartram and Logan, these men were eager to showcase Philadelphia’s fertile ground for native plants and exotic imports. So, they would often bring along plants to their meetings.

    And it wasn’t just the men at these meetings. According to a history of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, published in 1927, members brought “more than 40 specimens of plants and flowers, 15 varieties of pears and apples, American grape wine, cauliflower, and broccoli,” to a Nov. 3, 1828, meeting.

    Less than a year later, the inaugural Horticultural Society members decided to take their admiration of plants and flowers to the city at large.

    The first Philadelphia Flower Show was held on June 6, 1829, at the Masonic Hall on Chestnut Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets.

    On June 6, 1829, the Horticultural Society held its first semiannual exhibition of fruits, flowers, and plants at the Masonic Hall on the 700 block of Chestnut Street. That was America’s first public flower show.

    The first flower show will be marked Saturday at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott, just steps from the Pennsylvania Convention Center where the 197th Philadelphia Flower Show’s final weekend will be underway.

    The celebration is one of this year’s weekly Firstivals. Each Saturday in 2026, the Philadelphia Historic District is throwing a day party marking events that happened in Philadelphia before anywhere else in America and often the world as part of America’s 250th birthday.

    Philadelphia’s first Flower Show, said Janet Evans, librarian for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, was a one-day affair.

    Sean Martorana’s No. 1 honors the role of art and nature in bringing communities together.

    On display were the bigleaf Magnolia, geraniums, carnations, lilies, and pomegranate, Evans said. It was also the first time the poinsettia — now a symbol of the holiday season — was exhibited in North America.

    “So many plants we take for granted in our gardens today were introduced to the Philadelphia public at the Flower Show,” she said, adding that at later exhibitions, more exotic plants from birds of paradise to dahlias made appearances.

    The show was held in June until the 1830s when it was moved to September to mark the fall harvest. The present-day multiday spring flower shows started in the mid-1920s, to debut Easter blooms.

    How Germantown became the building block of the abolitionist movement

    The Flower Show was held in venues in West Philly before making the Convention Center its permanent home in 1996. (Although it was held in FDR Park in 2021 and 2022 during the pandemic.)

    There were no shows during World War I (1917-1918) and World War II (1943-1946) because resources were being diverted to war efforts. During those years, Evans said, the Horticultural Society organized Victory Garden Harvest Shows, set up to encourage people to grow vegetable gardens at home and their communities to compensate for wartime shortages.

    There were similar shows during the Great Depression, Evans said. “People flocked to those shows,” she added.

    Laura Blanchard, member and volunteer with the Philadelphia Flower Show, poses for a photo by a flower display at a news conference for a first-look unveiling of the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening,” at Union Trust on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.

    Today the Philadelphia Flower Show is a major city attraction. Last year, more than 235,000 people attended, said Lauren Scully, public relations and communications manager for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

    This year’s Flower Show, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening‚” celebrates America’s 250th birthday, honoring the people, places, and traditions that have shaped gardening.

    “It all started from men whose whole idea was to get together, admire, and share their love of plants,” Evans said.

    This week’s Firstival is Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market St. The Inquirer will highlight a “first” from the Philadelphia Historic District’s 52 Weeks of Firsts program every week. A “52 Weeks of Firsts” podcast, produced by All That’s Good Productions, drops every Tuesday.

  • In Philly homes, wallpapering is back and the rules have changed

    In Philly homes, wallpapering is back and the rules have changed

    When decorating their circa-1920 townhouse, Eli Steiker-Ginzberg and Sarah Schrading wanted their vestibule to represent the home’s history. They chose a classic William Morris wallpaper called Bird and Pomegranate for above the chair rail and a textured Anaglypta paper painted in Benjamin Moore Baltic Sea below.

    “Colonial Wallcoverings had so many options it was overwhelming,” recalled Steiker-Ginzberg, who lives in the Fairmount area. “The leaves and birds and colors of this one really jumped out.”

    The William Morris paper was a splurge, so to stay on budget, they matched it with a less expensive paintable wallpaper. In total they spent about $2,000 on the materials and installation “for the smallest room in my house,” he joked.

    Wallpaper is showing up in unique ways and in new places. Bold patterns on the ceiling, colorful oversized florals on an accent wall, custom murals in the living room, and funky patterns in the closet and mudroom that add pizzazz and make a statement.

    The wallpapered vestibule in Eli Steiker-Ginzberg and Sarah Schrading’s home leads to a painted wall on the home’s first floor.

    More homeowners are embracing bold wall coverings, according to the 2026 U.S. Houzz Fall Design Trends Report. The shift reflects a move toward deeply personal designs, with homeowners opting for vivid, expressive details that make their spaces feel unique and emotionally resonant, the report found.

    “Wallpaper has character and brings out the life and beauty of a room,” said Paul Sperling, owner of Colonial Wallcoverings in Queen Village. “It shows off your personality.”

    Modern wallpapers are also easier to hang and strip than older versions, with paste-the-wall and self-adhesive DIY options.

    “A lot of people are afraid of wallpaper because it used to be a nightmare to take off,” Sperling said. “But most wallpapers now are easier to remove because of changes in how the papers are printed.”

    Making a statement

    When Jessica Maiuro moved into her Rittenhouse apartment in 2024, she wanted a wow factor as soon as she came through the front door. After a couple months of searching, she discovered a bold patterned wallpaper featuring Ben Franklin within a gilded picture frame blowing a bubble gum bubble, surrounded by a tiger and flowers.

    “I wanted something that would really make a bold statement and be a conversation starter when I hosted,” she recalled. “I had never seen any design like this, and I was instantly sold and in love. What could be more Philly?”

    Jessica Maiuro was delighted to find this Benjamin Franklin wallpaper for her home in Center City.

    Maiuro spent about $500 on the peel-and-stick wallpaper from the online seller Spoonflower and corralled her husband, John Jeong, and a friend to help her hang it. Her apartment is a rental, but she tested the paper and knows it will easily strip off when it’s time to take it down.

    When investing in wallpaper, consider where and how it will make the most impact. Wallpapers with small, repeating patterns work best in a smaller space, such as a powder room or vestibule.

    For larger spaces, wallpaper murals can serve as a focal point on the wall behind the bed or sofa, or continuing across several walls. They often feature grand designs or landscapes, including big, bold flowers and jungle scenes. Murals are more popular than ever, said Sperling, with brands like Rebel Walls and Glamora that specialize in custom sizes.

    For a more personal design, Rich Art Graphics in Center City will take your artwork and create a custom wallpaper to fit your dimensions.

    “Most of the time, a designer or artist will come to us with a fine art interpretation to be printed and installed in homes,” said Michael Antner, the print shop’s owner. “It’s something personal that they are very passionate about.”

    For example, a client may have a favorite painting or photograph they want to reimagine on an entire wall. Cityscapes and naturescapes are especially popular. Rich Art will create a digital file with the picture and manipulate it to the exact size of the wall.

    They offer traditional wallpaper adhered with paste or peel-and-stick adhesive. The average cost is $8 per square foot to create the paper, plus installation.

    A record player dating to the 1960s sits in Maiuro’s home under the gaze of bubble-gum-chewing Ben Franklin.

    The fifth wall

    The ceiling has become the fifth wall of the room, where wallpaper can make a bold statement and add a new dimension. Options include very intricate designs where viewers can spot new details to simpler patterns like clouds or green tree canopies.

    “It’s much more dramatic and brings more attention to the room,” Sperling said. “It takes vision.”

    Parents are even wallpapering nursery ceilings as a stimulating focal point for their babies.

    “Wallpapered ceilings have been a design staple for centuries in Europe, especially in homes where pattern and ornamentation played an important role in creating atmosphere and storytelling,” said Krystal Reinhard, founder and principal designer at Old Soul Design Studio in downtown West Chester.

    She’s seen a noticeable uptick in the past five years as homeowners look for more expressive, layered interiors. Papered ceilings work in smaller, contained spaces like powder rooms, nurseries, and offices. But they can also make sense on larger ceilings in bedrooms, dining rooms, and kitchens.

    When papering the ceiling, it’s important to consider the scale of the pattern — motifs or tonal textures often work beautifully overhead, Reinhard said. It’s best to hire an experienced installer because ceilings require precision and strong adhesive knowledge. Before committing to a pattern, one should test how it interacts with overhead lighting — fixtures can cast shadows that change the effect.

    “A wallpapered ceiling is one of the most effective ways to give a room soul,” Reinhard said. “It’s a detail that feels thoughtful and intentional.”

    Especially in the Philadelphia region, where so many homes have architectural character worth celebrating, treating the ceiling as a design opportunity can elevate the entire space, she said.

    It’s a way to honor historic craftsmanship while embracing a very current, expressive design moment.

    Steiker-Ginzberg and Schrading chose the wallpaper in their vestibule to represent the home’s history.

    How much does wallpapering cost?

    Wallpaper costs vary widely, starting at about $40 per 50-square-foot roll for peel-and-stick options from online sellers such as Wayfair. Textured materials from brands like Arte or historical luxury design houses like de Gourney or Zuber can reach several hundred dollars per individual square foot, Sperling said.

    Many companies provide a measuring calculator to determine exactly how much is needed for your project. It’s essential to take pattern repeat into account and add an extra 10% for mistakes and future repairs.

    Most companies sell samples. It’s helpful to hang those in various spots and observe over a few days to see how the pattern looks in the light at different times of day and night.

    For Steiker-Ginzberg, the wallpaper investment was worthwhile.

    “There’s something important and meaningful about the portal into your house and there being an intentional transition,” he said. “It makes a difference in the impression people get.”

  • A statue of a founding father who enslaved people was taken down in Wilmington. It’s moving to D.C.’s Freedom Plaza.

    A statue of a founding father who enslaved people was taken down in Wilmington. It’s moving to D.C.’s Freedom Plaza.

    The statue of a founding father who enslaved Black people in Delaware is moving from a New Castle storage facility to a venerated spot in Washington’s Freedom Plaza as part of President Donald Trump’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

    Wilmington officials took down the statue of Caesar Rodney in 2020 amid Black Lives Matter protests and a national reckoning over racism in America, taking it out of public view at the same time as the city removed a statue of Christopher Columbus for similar reasons.

    It wasn’t clear when the bronze monument of Rodney on a horse will be put on temporary display in the plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House, according to the New York Times, which learned of the story from a Feb. 3 National Park Service memo.

    The statue had stood in Wilmington’s Rodney Square for around 100 years.

    Rodney’s legend includes a partially disputed story about riding two horses 82 miles from Dover to Independence Hall to sign the Declaration of Independence — a trip five times longer than Paul Revere’s more famous ride a year earlier.

    Rodney arrived spent and mud-spattered on July 2, 1776, to sign the Declaration before its formal adoption on July 4, breaking the tie between two other Delaware delegates, one of whom wouldn’t sign, said Dick Carter, chairman of the Delaware Heritage Commission. The near last-minute inscribing is true, Carter and others say, but it’s possible that Rodney, who suffered from facial cancer and was quite ill, may have covered some of the mileage in a carriage.

    Giving his life to public service, Rodney was a brigadier general in the Continental Army, a sheriff, a justice on the Delaware Supreme Court, and a delegate from Delaware to the Continental Congress.

    Rodney was also among the 41 out of 56 Declaration signers who enslaved people. He was a complex and contradictory figure, especially when viewed through a 21st-century lens, Carter said, adding that it is not fair to “judge historical figures by the norms and mores of the present day.”

    Rodney enslaved anywhere from 20 to 200 people on his estate near Dover. But his legacy also includes a bill he introduced in the state legislature to end the practice of importing enslaved people into Delaware. And upon his death, he freed the 18 people he’d enslaved at the time.

    Trump, during his first term in 2020, praised Rodney in a proclamation issued on the founding father’s birthday.

    In the proclamation, Trump condemned the removal of Rodney’s statue “as part of an ongoing, radical purge of America’s founding generation.”

    Trump said it was a “re-education attempt” and the “end result of an extreme anti-American historical revisionism,” generated by “critical race theorists … [and] mobs on city streets” who say that America is not an exceptional country “but an evil one.”

    An image of the front page of the July 3, 1923, edition of the News Journal of Wilmington, Del., which makes note of the dedication of the Caesar Rodney statue on the following day.

    Trump has expressed similar views during his second term and taken steps to change the way Americans are educated about the nation’s history.

    In January, the administration ordered the removal of exhibits depicting slavery at the President’s House in Independence National Historical Park. The U.S. Department of Interior said that the slavery-related materials were being reviewed “to ensure accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values.” Last month, a federal judge ordered the exhibit’s restoration, though the administration is still pursuing the matter.

    In the summer of 2025, the administration restored two statues in the D.C. area that commemorated the Confederacy. One was a statue of Confederate Gen. Albert Pike, the only outdoor statue of a Confederate military leader in the nation’s capital.

    “We see a pattern of celebrating enslavers while reducing teaching about slavery in the United States and limiting diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Timothy Wellbeck, director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University. “Caesar Rodney has components of character not worth celebrating despite his contributions to America’s founding.”

    Shané Darby, a councilwoman from Wilmington, told the Times that glorifying Rodney was “a slap in the face of Black and brown people of this city… . You can have him, D.C.”

    That’s a view shared by other people in the Black community, said Syl Woolford, a member of the Delaware Heritage Commission. “Some folks in Wilmington are saying, ‘Get that white boy out of here,’” Woolford said. “They tell you there’s no place here for the statue of a slave owner.”

    But, he and other historians say, Rodney’s place in history shouldn’t be completely ignored. Even with the statue gone, elements of Rodney remain. He still appears on the quarter that honors Delaware. And his square continues to bear his name, although there’s discussion it’ll be renamed after President Joe Biden, whose ties to Delaware run deep, Carter said.

    The Department of Interior didn’t answer a request from The Inquirer to comment on criticism from Wellbeck and others that the Trump administration is exalting an enslaver. Instead, a spokesperson said, “Rodney’s journey itself reflected extraordinary courage.”

    “By telling the full story … we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here,” the spokesperson added.

    To avoid further consternation in Wilmington, there’s a plan to send Rodney’s statue to Dover, not Wilmington, after the 250th celebration is over, said Republican State Sen. Eric Buckson.

    “Dover is Rodney’s birth and resting place,” Buckson said.

    He added, however, that “in this climate, folks are rightfully concerned about having monuments minimizing slavery.”

    So, whenever Rodney comes back, his statue will be amended, Buckson said.

    “It’ll include a plaque,” he added, “and that will have the story that, along with everything else, Caesar Rodney was a slave holder.”

  • In a Philly apartment, a monochrome design brings splash without color

    In a Philly apartment, a monochrome design brings splash without color

    Bright red strawberries and orange carrot sticks on the kitchen cutting board and greenery in white sculptural vases on the white counter and black dining table add rare splashes of color to Jasmine Williams’ one-bedroom apartment.

    Williams has lived in her mostly two-toned residence in Garden Court Towers, in the Garden Court neighborhood in West Philadelphia, for four years. She loves the “clean and classic” white of the apartment’s walls, chairs, rugs, ottomans, throw pillows, and other accessories.

    Contrasting black furnishings include leather chairs in the entry hall, a round table, the bench and chairs in the dining area, and black cabinets in the bedroom, which flank a radiator whose cover she painted black. She also painted the wall dividing the entry hall and the living area black.

    Recently, Williams’ niece, Aubrey Harris, painted the folding doors to the laundry black. The rest of the doors in the apartment are white.

    Williams already had the essentials when she chose her dramatic decor. Her 1,000-square-foot apartment’s renovated kitchen had black cabinets with white countertops. There were white fixtures in the bathroom and powder room. The laminate floors resembled white oak.

    Decorative boxes and books are stacked on a media console in the living room.
    Decor on the nightstand next to Williams’ bed.

    Williams, 36, spent the first decade of her life in a home on Larchwood Avenue, just blocks from Garden Court Towers. Her family then moved to Berlin, N.J. She graduated from Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees.

    During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she lived with her grandmother, Dolores Cook, in Northeast Philadelphia and redecorated Cook’s home.

    “From the time she was a little girl Jasmine always liked art and design,” her mother, Yvette Baker, boasted during a visit with her daughter.

    Williams was a project manager for nonprofits before becoming an interior design consultant. She is also a disaster relief volunteer for the American Red Cross in Philadelphia.

    After her grandmother’s death in December 2020, “the housing market was awful,” Williams said, so she looked for a place to rent. She visited Garden Court Towers and admired the 1929 Art Deco lobby with its canopied entrance, carved wood paneled foyer, tile walls and floor, and original brass U.S. Mail box.

    The lobby of the Garden Towers apartment building in West Philadelphia.

    The Art Deco geometric design of the hallway carpeting is similar to the gray-and-white pattern of the wallpaper Jasmine chose to hang behind her bed, which has a gray headboard. She hung gray wallpaper as an accent on two other walls.

    The living room couch is gray, as is the herringbone-patterned kitchen backsplash.

    Gray softens the bold black-and-white surroundings, as does the wood-toned Parsons table under the TV in the living room. Brass lamps in the bedroom and a gilt mirror in the dining area add sparkle.

    The dining area, with a variety of monochrome shapes and textures, connects to the living area.

    The miniature antique radio on the Parsons table is actually a holder for wood coasters. Williams inherited the radio from her grandmother.

    Abstract art in the apartment include two striking oil paintings from Amazon in the entry hall, depicting black figures on a white background.

    Nearby hangs a painting of gray, beige, and black stripes and swirls on a white background. The work was more colorful when Williams purchased it from CB2, but she and her sister Melyssa Pollard brushed over the vibrant shades to produce a more muted palette.

    Williams’ brother in law, Jay Pollard, and her father, Edward Williams, installed light fixtures and hung paintings in the apartment.

    Her favorite shopping destinations are CB2 and Crate & Barrel, but she has also purchased items from Amazon, Pottery Barn, Wayfair, and other vendors. The cowhide rug under the dining table came from Burke Decor.

    Patterned wallpaper and simple white bedding contrast in the bedroom, where brass lamps add some shine.
    In the kitchen, an arrangement of brightly colored produce stands out from the black, white, and gray.

    In the living room, a unique art installation of nine small domes in shades of black, brown, and gray are arranged on the white wall above a white clay bowl on a black pedestal. The glazed clay domes are the work of New Zealand ceramicist Sam Mayell.

    Large windows fill the tenth-floor apartment with light.

    An abstract painting and large olive plant decorate the hallway.
    Ceramics and wall art bring texture to the apartment’s interior design.

    In the bedroom, with its white and black furnishings, a window frames a view of Garden Court homes below with their snow-covered lawns and rooftops.

    The winter-white scene was “keeping my theme going,” quipped Williams.

    Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.

  • One of Chinatown’s most promising Thai restaurants has closed

    One of Chinatown’s most promising Thai restaurants has closed

    Chon Tong Thai Kitchen, the family-run restaurant that brought a joyful, brightly colored space to an unlikely corner of Vine Street, abruptly closed late last month after its owner returned to Thailand. The Central Thai specialist, which opened in 2022, was a favorite of Thai expats in Philly.

    Owner Thidarat “Grace” Teekabud, whose great-great-grandmother had been a chef for the fifth King of Siam in the late 1800s, came to Philadelphia in 2019 to learn English. She noticed a void in Philly’s food scene and missed the desserts and snacks she grew up with. Opening the restaurant was her solution. (“Chon Tong” means “golden spoon” in Thai.)

    Teekabud did not respond to requests for comment.

    The real estate broker for the space at 1439 Vine St. told The Inquirer that the owners had already moved back to Thailand after a quick sale of the business and transfer of the turnkey space.

    Chon Tong was a close contender for The Inquirer’s 2025 edition of The 76, making the list of restaurants that writers (unsuccessfully) championed for inclusion.

    Hoi Tod is a mussel pancake served over gently stir-fried bean sprouts at Chon Tong.

    Though the concept initially focused on desserts, Chon Tong became better known among the area’s Thai student community for its boat noodles, fried items like the mussel-studded hoi tod pancake, tum tod (an inventive fried sweet-and-sour papaya salad), and jay tod (speckled with juicy-sweet corn kernels and crunchy tofu), as well as its crispy pork belly (moo tod nam pla).

    The property’s broker said that a Chinese-Japanese fusion restaurant will take Chon Tong’s place.

  • Letters to the Editor | March 5, 2026

    Letters to the Editor | March 5, 2026

    A study in contradictions

    You can’t have it both ways. In June: I completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Last week: We need to go to war with Iran because its nuclear capabilities are a threat to us. Not to mention an alternative reason — an Epstein diversion that has already taken the lives of U.S. troops and the deaths of innocent Iranian citizens, schoolgirls among them.

    Carol Otis, Drexel Hill

    Addressing healthcare disparities

    As a physician with more than 50 years of experience, I read with great interest a recent op-ed noting that doctors are paid less by insurance companies for treating Black and Latino patients than white ones.

    Inequality in healthcare delivery affects many American households, either directly or indirectly. But the causes described by the authors of the op-ed are multifactorial in origin and may not be the result of discrimination. Most doctors do not reject patients based on their insurance plans, but rather see anyone who’s scheduled.

    One way to address the disparity cited by the authors might be by increasing the use of physician associates. I estimate that a third of the patients I saw over the course of my career could have been treated by a well-trained clinician without a medical degree. They are often called “physician extenders,” and they have considerable training — and often direct care experience — before being licensed to practice in a state. They work in conjunction with a medical professional for backup and oversight to protect the people we serve.

    There are many benefits to using physician associates: They allow patients into the system of providers that would not occur because of overwhelmed schedules, they are able to operate without the prolonged and costly medical training and education that doctors endure, and they are reimbursed at a lower level consistent with the lesser illness risk that patients have during visits.

    When the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, millions were allowed access to our healthcare system, which overwhelmed existing medical providers. Funding for physician extenders was part of that bill. It was a start, but not nearly enough. We must increase funds for physician associates to address our nation’s growing need for more healthcare providers.

    Donald Petroski, Medford

    Where’s the money?

    Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. is trying to come up with new money and new ways to create a positive and powerful way to teach our students. He seems to plan on closing, moving, and combining schools. I wish him luck — and he is going to need it to make this plan work. The parents rightly ask, “Where is the money?” My long and winding journey with the Philadelphia School District began with me in kindergarten in 1951 and ended when I retired from teaching first grade in 2003. After all those years with the district, I think I can answer the question from those who ask, “Where is the money?” There isn’t any money. There never was any money, and there probably will not be any money. Why? Ask the legislature in Harrisburg.

    Sheryl Kalick, Philadelphia

    Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.

  • Horoscopes: Thursday, March 5, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). Review your financial strategy. One timely adjustment this solar season can make a considerable difference. The work and research you do in the next few days will inform the move.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’re not trying to do too much, really. Sure, you have long term goals and maybe even a dream for the future. But for the next 24 hours, there’s a lot of good that comes from your simple desire to make other people smile.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). If you only feel like you’re doing a good job when you’re meeting a certain person’s needs, and said person isn’t (SET ITAL)you(END ITAL), this isn’t the job for you. Get out of it. Because inside of it, you can’t step back to look at the big picture.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). Today sees you absorbing beauty. You may learn from a book in order to act, study an art form to make your own, or listen deeply to another person. You receive first, and later you’ll act and create with what you’ve taken in.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Name what you want out loud. It will feel risky. As soon as the words leave your lips, the world changes. You’ll start to know what was in your head and what is actually possible as imagined outcomes are replaced with real ones.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It’s pretty much how those you admire did it — more the norm than the exception — so take heart. Most people don’t feel completely ready for what’s coming. Trust that you’ll acquire what you need along the way.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll get a do-over pass — then another, then another. With the constant supply of do-over passes, you may as well go ahead and try your hand at a game you’re bad at. Then try again and again until you’re good at it, or bored of it.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll pull together interesting work. You haven’t figured everything out yet, but you don’t need to; leaving some things to be resolved in the moment brings freshness, even genius, to your work.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re so good at your role, mostly because you pay attention. Others may go through the motions without noticing what’s changed and needed — without imagining what could be. Not you. You notice what needs doing before it’s asked for.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Last season you made a choice that simplified your life. It didn’t look dramatic at the time, but it removed some of the obstacles to the ideal you keep imagining. You’re moving into a new state of ease, closer every day, habits constantly improving.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). People appreciate your work because it considers them. You think about how something will be received, how it will be used and what it might make easier. The extra thought makes your contributions fit better.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re so creative and prolific today, turning your inner impulses into a shared reality. As you make things, your skills get sharper, confidence swells and you get to enjoy the products of your self-expression — empowering all around.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 5). It’s your Year of Vibrant Daring. Never were you more aware of life’s constant movement, and you are often steering the journey to where your curiosity and talents will be a good fit for the scene. You’ll make an impact with people you enjoy, joining strengths for a common good. More highlights: lucrative work, a soul-fortifying commitment, an investment will pay off and float your dream. Cancer and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 3, 8, 32 and 16.

  • Dear Abby | Son confides to mom about grandmother’s abusive behavior

    DEAR ABBY: I am reaching out as a single mother grappling with a serious heart-lung condition. My son’s father abandoned us when I was pregnant, and I haven’t heard from him in more than a decade. Thankfully, my parents have been supportive coparents during the years when my health made things incredibly challenging.

    I have always encouraged my son to express his feelings and have assured him that his emotions are valid. We share a strong bond, and he feels comfortable discussing anything with me. Recently, he confided that he feels unsafe at his grandparents’ house, where he spends two nights a week. He revealed that his grandmother is verbally abusive and critical — laughing at him when he makes mistakes, calling him a “loser,” making sneering comments and speaking poorly of me when they are alone, even though she’s pleasant to my face.

    My mother’s behavior is deeply troubling. My son is scared to have me confront her because he’s worried he will be punished for sharing his experiences. In any other scenario, I would tell my mother that until she chooses to not abuse, he won’t be staying over. However, we have a mediated agreement that allows for those two overnights a week. I fear my mother could manipulate the situation and lie to the courts to maintain this arrangement. What should I do?

    — HOPELESS AND OVERWHELMED IN OREGON

    DEAR HOPELESS: Something has gone wrong with the arrangement you have with your mother. Any extreme change in behavior is troubling, and if her change of behavior is recent, she may need to be medically evaluated. What you need to do now is discuss this sorry situation with an attorney who may be able to challenge the custody agreement and protect your son from your mother’s abuse.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My son “Scot” recently remarried. I wasn’t involved in any of the preparations. I was also not acknowledged at the wedding and felt like just another guest. My son decided to change his last name without informing me about it. When I asked why, he said he had no claim to the name even though he has a brother and children with that last name. Am I wrong for feeling I’ve been punched in the heart for not being involved in this decision? The hurt is real.

    — MOM WHO DOESN’T MATTER

    DEAR MOM: With this new marriage, Scot is starting over, and the name change may be his way of creating a new beginning. Obviously, you and your son are not close enough that he confides in you, or he might have spoken to you about his decision and explained it beyond feeling he had “no claim” to the name he, his brother and his children were raised with. Scot’s decision was a personal one. Whatever his reason, it has nothing to do with you, and it should not be regarded as a “punch in the heart.” (A flip of the stomach, perhaps, but in no way related to you.)